Chapter 1
- EVAN -
“Ev, have you seen Barty? He should have been back by now.”
Evan turned from where he’d started unpacking his drum kit from its bag and looked at Pandora as xi came through the door. “No, he left a little while ago. Should I go look for him?”
Pandora frowned and continued into the room. It was cramped, with shelves against each wall except for the one that held the door. They were all piled high with boxes and crates of supplies, drinks, and other things the club needed. A bulletin board next to the door held random notes from employees and bands alike, as well as reminders from the managers on how different products had to be stored. The concrete floor looked like it hadn’t been swept in years, which it hadn’t. A few empty bottles and cigarette butts sat by the garbage can in one corner.
Pandora reached Dorcas, who was sitting on an old barstool that looked like it could barely hold one person without collapsing, and deposited xirself in her girlfriend’s lap. Dorcas kissed them and looked at the clock on the wall of the storeroom.
Evan looked up at the clock as well. It was now fifteen minutes before they were set to go on. An hour ago, Barty had shown up, dropped his guitar off in the storeroom that the bar owner allowed bands to use when they performed, and said something about going to get a drink before leaving again. He hadn’t come back yet.
They sighed. “I’ll go get him. Can you two and Reg finish setting up my drum set?”
Dorcas glanced to the opposite corner of the room, where Regulus was in the middle of a tense phone call, pacing back and forth by the wall. He was talking quietly, obviously not wanting to be overheard. If Evan had to take a guess, this phone call, and the last five like it that had taken place over the last few weeks, probably had something to do with Regulus’ new mystery boy.
A few months ago, Reg had come back to the apartment that he, Evan, and Barty shared at two in the morning, after Evan hadn’t heard from him since he’d disappeared from the bar they were all at that night. When Evan had tried to ask him about it, Regulus had brushed him off and disappeared into his room. Since then, he, Barty, Pandora, and Dorcas had managed to get small pieces of information out of Regulus. All they knew was that Reg was seeing a new guy, it had started well, but it was now going downhill. Hence the string of quiet phone calls in corners.
Dorcas rolled her eyes and looked back at Evan. “I’ll handle it.”
Evan nodded and left through the open door, closing it behind himself. The short hallway outside had the same concrete floor as the store room, and the flickering light illuminated four doors.
Across from the storeroom door, Evan had just come out of was the door to the main club, and next to it was the door to the small stage where bands played. On the adjoining wall was the back door of the club, which lead to an alleyway behind the building. Evan opened the door to the main club.
The air around Evan was warmer than the hallway had been. Everything was hazy, swirling neon lights flickering, and the smell of liquor and sweat thick. He quickly scanned the crowd, attempting to locate Barty. Not seeing him immediately, he headed toward the bar to see if Barty had just gotten held up or lost track of time.
The chatter of all the people was constant, making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. The music being played by the band already on the small stage was obscenely loud, both overwhelming and intoxicating. Distractedly, Evan turned back away from the bar and slammed right into a table.
“Shit, my bad!” They looked down at the table he'd just knocked into. There were four people seated at it, all looking up at him.
The first seemed a bit shorter than the rest, and had dirty blond hair and lightly freckled skin. They were wearing a crimson t-shirt with a gold logo of four sets of footprints forming a circle. The text underneath read The Marauders. He also wore a pin on their shirt that said “they/he”. They were attempting to clean up the drink that had spilled when Evan hit the table.
The second was a man with glasses and messy black hair. He was clearly in the middle of a phone call, and was talking quickly and quietly like he didn’t want the others to overhear. He looked vaguely familiar, but Evan couldn’t quite place him.
The next was a man who, even seated, Evan could tell must be absurdly tall. He had sandy hair and pale scars crisscrossing over his face and arms. His hand was resting on the knee of the person sitting next to him. They wore ripped black jeans, and a black cropped shirt with a rhinestone star on the front. And then Evan saw their face.
“Sirius?” There was no mistaking their features, so similar to her brother’s.
“Rosier?” Sirius looked at him, recognition showing on his face. The others at the table looked between them, and Glasses said something quick into the phone before hanging up and placing it on the table. “What are you doing here? Is Reg with you?”
They did not have time for this. He still had to find Barty, and probably only had around ten minutes to do so before they were set to go on. They did not have time for a run-in with Regulus’s sibling, especially when Regulus hadn’t seen said sibling since Sirius had left their home six years ago.
“Yes, he is, but he’s busy. I’m busy too, so it was great seeing you, but goodbye. Oh, and sorry about the drink.” He directed the last part at the one still trying to mop up the spill with a napkin. They nodded, not looking up, and Evan turned and walked away towards the crowd of people dancing, the next most likely place for Barty to be. Sirius started to protest, but the man with the scars said something to Glasses before grabbing Sirius’s hand and pulling her in the direction of the bar. She frowned but went with him.
Evan took a deep breath. And then he immediately lost his breath again when they finally saw Barty. Barty and a stranger, dancing very close together. The stranger had his hand on Barty’s hip, where his shirt was riding up slightly.
Evan pushed down the jealousy that rose in their chest. If Barty wanted to dance with strangers, that was fine. Evan wouldn’t let it ruin their night. He hadn’t let the fact that he was unrequitedly in love with his best friend ruin his nights since he was fifteen years old.
Evan moved through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed looks of the people he pushed out of the way. They stopped in front of Barty and the stranger, the former of which had attached himself to the neck of the latter. Evan ignored how that made him feel as well.
“Barty! The fuck are you doing? We have to be set up to play soon!” A few people nearby looked to see what was going on, but Evan glared at them, and most returned to their own business.
The band that was on the small stage finished their last song and started packing up their things, which was supposed to be their queue to start getting their things ready.
Bary detached himself from the stranger and scowled at Evan. “Five more minutes, Mum.”
The stranger looked between them uncomfortably, before quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Evan grabbed Barty’s arm and lead him back to the store room in the back of the club. As they held open the door, he said, “Get your guitar, the last band already finished so we are now late.” Barty didn’t respond.
Evan followed him in. Both Regulus and Dorcas were gone, probably setting up Evan’s drum set on the stage. Pandora was sitting on the ground, next to the bar stool, which was holding her box of beads, charms, and string. They were stringing the beads on a bracelet. Xi looked up and smiled when they came into the room.
“Oh good, you found him! Cas told me to tell you that Regulus is waiting by the stage and that she’s sitting at the usual table to watch you perform.” She returned to xir bracelet.
Barty picked up his guitar from the corner of the room. “Aren’t you going to watch too?”
Pandora tapped their ears. “Forgot my headphones. I’ll stay here, just come get me afterward, okay?”
Barty nodded. While Evan loved loud music, his twin found sound over a certain volume overstimulating, which was why Evan had gotten her noise-canceling headphones for their birthday a few years ago, when Regulus, Barty, and him had first started their band. The headphones let Pandora watch them play, but without the discomfort the noise brought.
“Will do. See you in a bit.” He held the door open for Barty, and they turned down the other side of the hallway and opened the door to the stage. Regulus was sitting just inside the door, out of sight from the crowd. He was once again talking quietly on his phone, but Evan caught a few words before Regulus noticed them.
“-can’t do this with you anymore! James, I-” He looked up, finally seeing Barty and Evan. “I’ll call you back, I’m in the middle of something right now. Goodbye.” He put his phone in his pocket and stood up. “Are you guys ready?”
Barty looked at Evan and arched an eyebrow. Evan shook their head. Leave it alone.
Barty shrugged. “Yeah, let’s go.”
They walked together onto the stage. Evan took his place behind their drum set, and Barty and Regulus stood in front. Regulus, by the microphone the club provided, and Barty with his guitar off to the side, but close enough that the mic would pick up when he sang as well.
Barty turned and winked at Evan. He grinned back. Barty turned back around and spoke loudly into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are Emerald Riot!”